The Extraterritorial Exploration of Living Will of the Elderly and Its Implications for China

The living will system for the elderly reflects a society's commitment to respecting and safeguarding the elderly's right to make independent decisions. In many foreign countries and regions, such as the United States and Europe, this system has been widely legalized. While some non-governmental organizations in mainland China have actively promoted living wills, the legislative process remains relatively slow. The study examines relevant legislation and practical experiences from other countries, such as America, Britain and Germany, regarding living wills for the elderly, providing insights for the development of a similar system in China. And the study proposes several measures: clarifying the conditions for the application of living wills, improving execution procedures, establishing a robust supervision mechanism, enhancing palliative care infrastructure, and promoting public education on life and death concepts to better protect the dignity and medical decision-making rights of the elderly.